For a debut novel this is an amazingly confident story. Bacigalupi has succeeded where so many new authors fail and has managed to create a wholly believable future world. Climate change and genetic engineering have wreaked havoc across the globe and the Kingdom of Thailand is a bleak, sweltering place. The story follows a number characters as years of political and cultural machinations come to a head. One of these is Emiko, the windup girl. A genetically engineered "new person" whose built-in enhancements are off-set by the imperfections designed to please her creators. As she strives to overcome her programming her life intersects with the other protagonists as the Kingdom goes into meltdown.

The science is clever and engaging and supports the plot and moves the story forward without getting in the way. Comparisons with William Gibson are justified although I found Bacigalupi probably a little more accessible than Neuromancer etc. The dialogue crackles and sizzles with the rising tempo of events and Bacigalupi captures the different personalities and perspectives of his main characters brilliantly. I wasn't sure that one of the leads - Hock Seng - was that crucial to the plot and his segments are probably the weakest. But the book moves along at a slick pace and only seems to drag in a few places.

All the nominations and awards are well deserved. Read it and wait in anticipation for the seque.

The Windup Girl0356500535Paolo BacigalupiOrbitThe Windup GirlWelcome
Nothing to do with a female who likes practical jokes
For a debut novel this is an amazingly confident story. Bacigalupi has succeeded where so many new authors fail and has managed to create a wholly believable future world. Climate change and genetic engineering have wreaked havoc across the globe and the Kingdom of Thailand is a bleak, sweltering place. The story follows a number characters as years of political and cultural machinations come to a head. One of these is Emiko, the windup girl. A genetically engineered "new person" whose built-in enhancements are off-set by the imperfections designed to please her creators. As she strives to overcome her programming her life intersects with the other protagonists as the Kingdom goes into meltdown.

The science is clever and engaging and supports the plot and moves the story forward without getting in the way. Comparisons with William Gibson are justified although I found Bacigalupi probably a little more accessible than Neuromancer etc. The dialogue crackles and sizzles with the rising tempo of events and Bacigalupi captures the different personalities and perspectives of his main characters brilliantly. I wasn't sure that one of the leads - Hock Seng - was that crucial to the plot and his segments are probably the weakest. But the book moves along at a slick pace and only seems to drag in a few places.

All the nominations and awards are well deserved. Read it and wait in anticipation for the seque.
zerot "top_shed"15 Jan. 2011

Overall: 5

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